The points of issue
Full gilt-decorated leather, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, bound-in silk ribbon marker, illustrations by Michael Deas; issued as a Franklin Library Signed First Edition Society volume and hand-signed by Updike on a bound-in limitation page. The trade textual first is Alfred A. Knopf (1984), 'First Edition' stated, cloth boards with silver lettering.
Is this the true first?
The Knopf trade edition is the true textual first. The Franklin Library Signed First Edition Society copy is genuinely hand-signed by Updike on a bound-in limitation page (the Society series, 1983-2000, used hand signatures, not facsimiles), and was issued as a simultaneous deluxe. It is collectible as a genuinely signed deluxe issue, but the Knopf printing carries textual precedence.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book-club reprint; it is a genuinely hand-signed deluxe issue from the Franklin Library Signed First Edition Society. Do not conflate the leather Franklin volume with the Knopf first-printing points: keep the leather signed issue and the trade Knopf first as distinct records.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Witches of Eastwick (Franklin Library Signed First Edition) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Full gilt-decorated leather, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, bound-in silk ribbon marker, illustrations by Michael Deas; issued as a Franklin Library Signed First Edition Society volume and hand-signed by Updike on a bound-in limitation page. The trade textual first is Alfred A. Knopf (1984), 'First Edition' stated, cloth boards with silver lettering.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The Knopf trade edition is the true textual first. The Franklin Library Signed First Edition Society copy is genuinely hand-signed by Updike on a bound-in limitation page (the Society series, 1983-2000, used hand signatures, not facsimiles), and was issued as a simultaneous deluxe. It is collectible
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Not a book-club reprint; it is a genuinely hand-signed deluxe issue from the Franklin Library Signed First Edition Society. Do not conflate the leather Franklin volume with the Knopf first-printing points: keep the leather signed issue and the trade Knopf first as distinct records.
I have a first edition of The Witches of Eastwick (Franklin Library Signed First Edition) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.